The following index was compiled and generously contributed to this
website by W.T. "Terry" Thornton. The
information below is based on his careful examination of the online
census images.
Surnames, given names (or initials), ages, places of birth, and census
image references have been included. Given names that were
abbreviated in the census record were changed to the full spellings in
this index.

Remember,
this is NOT an every-name index. Entries in bold type indicate a head of
household. No additional members of that particular household
with the same surname are listed in this index (see the images for a
complete listing). Entries in regular type indicate a member of a
household with a surname different from the household head. Where
there are multiple such people in a household, only one was included in
this index, usually the first listed or the eldest (see images for a
complete listing).

Like most U.S. censuses, the 1870 enumeration of Fayette
County
is plagued by poor spelling and even worse penmanship. Then
again,
legibility is often in the eye of the beholder. For example, what
may look like Thompston to a transcriber may clearly be
seen as Thornton by a descendant. But how many
Thornton
researchers will overlook this misguided interpretation of the surname?

The goal of this index is not to
prove that census takers can't
spell or that transcribers can't read. Rather, it is to repair
the most egregious mistakes of both. Correcting your ancestor's
name here — even
if your interpretation is not universally accepted — should make it
easier
for other researchers to find him or her on the 1870 Fayette County
census.

INDEX KEYS:
• Entries in RED are questionable;
help is needed to identify the actual surnames.
• Highlighted
items have been changed
from the original transcription (see Changes).
• A plus sign (+) indicates that a family enumeration continues on
the next page.
• Two plus signs (++) indicate that a household entry continues on the second census page following (some
sections are not in proper sequence).
• A minus sign (-) indicates that a household entry continues on the previous census page (again, some
sections are not in order).